


By Your Side

by buckysstars



Category: Iron Man (Comics), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sleepy Bucky Barnes, Sleepy Cuddles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 18:00:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21378217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckysstars/pseuds/buckysstars
Summary: Bucky Barnes believes in second chances.After a life of escaping death, losing his identity, a life of murder, and being turned into a weapon, Bucky Barnes takes in RJ Boyle, former Hydra Assassin.RJ is finally back home in Bucky’s suburban home in Shelbyville, Indiana
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & RJ Boyle, James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 31





	By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> Bucky and RJ Boyle, based off of the comic Winter Soldier: Second Chances (2018). You can definitely read this without having read the winter soldier comic. Just my own fluffy take on their father-son relationship. Enjoy :-)

RJ is finally back home in Bucky’s suburban home in Shelbyville, Indiana.

He stayed after school for art club, making a dreadful way through the cold. This jacket isn’t enough to keep him warm.The cold nips at his ears and the tip of his nose. The suburban neighborhood is basked in the afternoon sun, but the houses cast shadows everywhere, where it’s colder. He enters through the front door and kicks his shoe off, throwing his bag down right next to them. (He can hear Bucky’s voice in his head, scolding him to stop dropping his stuff down, leaving a trail). 

Alpine trots over to him, meowing loudly at RJ. He scans the room, not finding anybody around. No Bucky, Tony, or Sharon. He kneels down while Alpine rubs against his legs, petting the cat. He wouldn’t be seen dead petting Alpine, but he’s safe now. If Bucky were to see this, he would just take a million pictures and coo, “My kitty! And look at you RJ!” Bucky’s a big softie. 

RJ asks Alpine where everybody is, walking over to the kitchen to see if anybody is home. Even though it’s only 4pm, the sun is beginning to set and the golden light casts shadows through the curtain in the kitchen. RJ scans the room, just taking in Bucky’s house, but Alpine meows loudly for him to keep petting behind his ear.

RJ sighs, kneeling back down to give the cat pets. Maybe Alpine can sense RJ is stressed, but he won’t let RJ go for a couple of minutes. He buries his face in the cat’s fur, gently holding Alpine and giggling when Alpine meows softly and lets RJ rub his face on the soft cat. Alpine tries to move back, and leaves him laughing once he starts licking his hand. “Fine, I guess I missed you, too.”

Once Alpine was satisfied with enough scratches and pets, RJ was finally able to get up and kick his other shoe off that he hadn’t taken off yet. He finally comes to his senses, nobody is home, nobody is here with an afternoon snack in the kitchen. Bucky, a literal mother-hen, usually prepares something for him to eat after school, especially on days like today where he stayed after school for a club, especially in the middle of autumn when it’s easier to go home after school and nap.

RJ is guessing papa—  _ Tony _ (he needs to stop doing that), is in a Stark Enterprises meeting today and won’t be out until later. None of the lights in the house are on, so maybe Bucky had to leave for an emergency case with Sharon? But they would usually tell RJ, even if it’s confidential. He probably just forgot, since Bucky technically doesn’t owe RJ anything. He likes to think they’re like a real family, but he’s probably getting too far ahead of himself. Is it rude to say that?

Bucky gave him a home. He even left, not even thanking him for giving him a second chance after Hydra, but he was too enthralled in his fury to even bother thanking him. So, he ran away after everything Bucky did for him and after RJ was mean to him.

He’s back now, though, and this time he won’t mess it up. He can’t. Because honestly, they  _ are _ a family. He does occasionally call Bucky, ‘dad’ in his head, and honestly it’s bound to slip out of his mouth one day. He guesses the world would no longer rotate on its axis the day this happens. Maybe he is putting too much faith in how much Bucky loves him.

RJ sighed, upset over his own inner turmoil. He loves Bucky and Tony. They fought for him to have a chance to come back  _ home _ . After the death of his biological father— after the betrayal of his father, he felt like he couldn’t trust anybody. He has been betrayed by every father figure in his life, but tells himself he can trust Bucky and Tony. He can.

“Where’s dad, Alpine?” RJ asks, finally leaving the empty kitchen as Alpine trotted next to him. They left the empty kitchen and headed over to the living room. The TV was left on, a channel playing a Storm Chaser marathon is running with the volume lowered significantly. Dad—  _ Bucky _ must have been watching and forgot to turn it off. 

He figured out his mystery a moment later when he walked around the couch and found his dad. He was sprawled out on the couch, now with Alpine sitting on his legs who just jumped up to lie down on Bucky. RJ doesn’t even try to hide his laugh, but feels bad a second later and whispers, “Oh, there’s dad.”

To be a little shit, RJ motions for Alpine to move. He does and sits on the small space on the couch next to Bucky. He doesn’t miss the disapproval on Alpine’s face. Alpine meows loudly, he didn’t know the cat could be this loud so he shushed her. “Shhh, calm down. You’re gonna wake dad up before I do.”

Honestly, Bucky was due for a prank soon. As a matter of fact, the other night was Halloween and Bucky scared RJ the moment he walked through the front door of the house. RJ belt out a scream and scowled at Bucky, calling him a mean name. He got  _ scared _ , he could have hurt Bucky. And he told him. Bucky laughed, asking him what he would’ve done. RJ had rolled his eyes and they both erupted into laughter, Bucky poking his side. So now, this is payback.

He kneeled down, grabbing the back of the couch and lowering himself to sit on top of Bucky’s legs. He looked over, smirking, once he heard dad let out a heavy sigh and then waited a moment before settling all of his weight on Bucky. 

A few seconds later before RJ could burst into laughter, he heard dad groan and mumbled, “J’, s’that you?”

“No, it’s a ghost,” RJ whispers, keeping his voice soft so he didn’t wake dad up anymore, even if he is pranking him. He used the same gentle voice dad uses in the morning to wake him up for school, or when he had to leave early in the morning for a mission and RJ had time to fall back asleep before going to school later in the morning.

“How’s art club?” He mumbled, reaching over to to spike up the front of RJ’s wavy hair.

RJ smiled. This old man is too soft to even let him go through with his prank. “I had a lot of fun.”

“S’ good to hear,” he mumbled again, voice laden in exhaustion, grabbing RJ by the shoulder and gently dragging him down. RJ ducks his head to laugh, being pulled down by the metal arm. “You eat? Can buy you something.”

RJ shook his head, uncontrollably laughing once he sees him lazily smile, his eyes still closed but he securely pulled him down. Into a  _ hug _ . RJ grabbed onto dad, “No, I’m actually good. We had pizza at the meeting.”

“Mmm? You eat enough?”

“I did,” RJ said, mumbling against Bucky’s chest. “Dad, let go.”

“You started it,” he mumbled sleepily.

“And?” He relaxed in dad's arms.

“Payback?” he asked.

RJ’s sure Bucky doesn’t see him laughing or hear him, but his body shakes as he laughs against his chest. There isn’t much room for RJ to lie down, anyways, especially with the cat, but he made do. 

“I had 4 pizza slices. I probably gained 5 pounds in a week. I  _ will _ squish you,” RJ mumbles, squishing himself against Bucky and his side. Alpine meows, scurrying away and standing directly on top of RJ.

“You’re ‘onna make my ‘at fall,” he mumbles, eyes still closed and arms wrapped tightly around him.

“What?” RJ asks, “Also, not a cat. He’s a devil.”

Dad sighs, and RJ knows he rolled his eyes behind his closed eyelids. RJ moves, shoving his legs between Bucky’s to keep himself from falling. Since apparently he cares more about his cat falling than his kid. RJ tucked his face into his dad's chest and made sure he could hear his heartbeat. Honestly, it was just ok instinct to do this, but he could feel the steady pulse of dad’s heart against his cheek. He wrapped his arm around him. 

“You a squid?” Bucky asked.

RJ shook his head, smiling and snuggling closer. Okay, yes, this was supposed to be a prank, but he can’t move. Dad’s metal arm weighs more than he does. 

“You’re annoying,” RJ states.

“What, you don’t want to hug your old man?” Dad asked, “we’ll take a little nap before papa Tony gets back.”

His voice indicates that he’s already falling asleep again, but RJ laughs, “Who is papa Tony? What are you saying, old man.”

Bucky responds by pulling RJ closer. 

RJ should be mad, he completely sabotaged his prank. He huffs, closing his eyes and focused on dad’s arm around him now and the cool metal settled on his back from the arm. “Love you, dad.”

Bucky’s eyes shot open, and RJ can physically feel his heart rate picked up. His own pulse picked up, too, because dammit he really meant that. The love and fondness builds up in his own chest. Even if his prank kind of backfired, and there is a cat lying on top of his and a metal arm burrowed into his back, he’s glad he finally said it. Bucky pressed a kiss to the top of his head. 

“Love you too, kid. More than you know. You deserve the world.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are much appreciated <3 like, comment, subscribe, and tweet me @buckysstars


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